Bees are really fascinating creatures. They are the reason why we see a lot of flowers blooming on our garden. They are indicators of a good environment, and the way they work is rather a peculiar thing.

Perhaps the most mysterious part of a bee is its flight. Bees have a big body, full of nectar. Bumblebees’ wings, however, are really small. So small in fact that scientists have been wondering bumblebees manage to lift themselves up. It’s just not possible to be able to lift the body of a bee given the size of its wings.

The answer though, is not as complex as it seems. Simply put, bumblebees levitate instead of fly. These small insects, once called out as defying the laws of physics, are normal creatures after all.

Bees are Robots

How Bumblebees fly has been in the list of unanswered questions by scientists as early as the 1930s. It was not until the 1990s when scientists finally figured it out.

The secret to a bumblebee’s flight, or rather levitation, is simple: it flaps its wings really fast: as much as 230 flaps per second. Like robots capable of solving problems at an inhuman rate, bumblebees are also similar in a sense that they can flap their wings at super-fast rates.

A bumblebee’s wing flaps differently to that of a bird’s. Birds’ wings fly in an up and down motion. A bumblebee flaps its wing in a circular motion. This motion creates a low-pressure region above the bee’s wings. As pressure goes down, more air comes in to fill the void it left behind. The low-pressure zone invites the air beneath it to go upwards. The sudden gush or air at the bottom of the bee allows it to “ride” the air, and thus levitate.

This goes to say that the wings of the bees do not carry the bees themselves. Rather, they use the motion of their wings in order to create a vortex wherein they can be carried by the air beneath them.

Conclusion

Bumblebees are really interesting creatures because of the way they fly. Knowledge of this could even revolutionize the flight system of aircrafts.

Though bees are really fascinating creatures, their stings are not. They can be really dangerous especially to people with anaphylaxis. If you find an unusual number of bees in your neighborhood, you might be infested. We at Mr. Pest Control know how to handle these type of insects. If you need help with your bee infestation, don’t hesitate to call us at 1-888-794-7378.